Kathorus community members are wary of sangomas after a 78-year-old man was robbed of his pensioner’s grant by a sangoma, who claimed that he would double it for him.

Speaking to tame TIMES, distraught pensioner Christopher Maphanga said the sangoma visited his house at Zonkizizwe on 1 February. He told Christopher that he was sent by the ancestors to help him with his money problems.

“The sangoma told me that I had a challenge of poor money management in my household. He promised to double my money and make me a rich man. I gave him R150 on the first day and he promised to visit me often, to carry out the ritual,” said Maphanga. The sangoma gave him his cell phone number. They communicated regularly and he ended up trusting the man. Maphanga said that on the day of the ritual the sangoma asked for all the money that he had. He gave him R900. “The sangoma sent me to collect soil from my garden while I left him inside the house burning incense (Impepha). On my arrival I found the door open, the money was gone and the sangoma was nowhere to be found. I called his cell phone, but it went to voicemail and I realised that I was robbed,” he said.

He said he did not know where the sangoma resides. He reported the matter to the police. “I won’t allow sangomas in my house anymore. I am searching for this sangoma. When I’ve found him, I will make sure that I will teach him a lesson,” said Maphanga. Mary Bungeni, a sangoma residing in Thokoza said, “Sangomas don’t do miracles and there is no such a thing as doubling a person’s money. They only help to connect with the ancestors, who gives them directions on how to heal and assist people in need. The ancestors get angry when people play with their name and end up taking away the powers and calling given to a person. The [real] sangomas are not rich because they are controlled by the ancestors. The bogus sangomas cause people to not believe [in the] ancestors, because they lie about their work with the ancestors.”

The communications officer of Zonkizizwe Police Station, Sgt Rufus Tema said that a case of theft has been opened against the sangoma. He said police are still investigating the incident and appealed to the community to report any information to the nearest police station. He warns the community of an unscrupulous middle-aged man, who claims to be a sangoma and is robbing people of their money.

“We warn the elderly people not to engage with strangers in issues regarding money. They must make sure that there is someone from the family to supervise the process. The community must be careful and report such matters to the police, because it is a serious offence,” said Sgt Tema.

ANGERED ANCESTRY: Sangomas are unhappy with the thieves who are tarnishing their image and robbing unsuspecting people of their money. (Picture sourced at blog. wizzy.com)